Boris Johnson to hold COVID-19 news conference on Tuesday
January 4, 2022, 4:11 pm

Boris Johnson to hold COVID-19 news conference on Tuesday

UK Prime Minister taking booster shot/Official Facebook page

The US News reported as per Reuters, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will hold a COVID-19 news conference on Tuesday, amid a surge of the Omicron variant that has led to record high coronavirus cases and hit staffing numbers at hospitals.

Johnson resisted imposing stringent lockdown measures in England ahead of New Year as Omicron fuelled a spike in cases, betting that a vaccine booster drive and caution among the population would be enough to constrain the latest wave.

Johnson did warn on Monday however that hospitals would face considerable pressure in coming weeks.

While admissions have risen since mid-December, they have not tracked the trajectory of daily cases, possibly reflecting the impact of vaccines and booster shots, the likely lower severity of Omicron and the time lag in people going into hospital.

Earlier, vaccines minister Maggie Throup played down the need for extra measures, even as the surge in cases has led to staff absences and disruptions for hospitals, schools and trains.

Boris Johnson: NHS to be under 'considerable' pressure over Omicron

"At the moment, if you look at the people who have been hospitalised, they are going in with less severe conditions than before," Throup told Sky News, adding that the "Plan B" Johnson introduced in December was working.

"The numbers that are in hospital beds is about half what it was a year ago - and that just shows the power of the vaccine."

Boris Johnson says no new measures needed to fight Omicron

Neil Ferguson, an epidemiologist at Imperial College London, said that, while infections in London among under-50s may have plateaued, the incredibly steep spike in that age group had not yet had time to spread to older age groups, which are more vulnerable to COVID-19.

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He told BBC Radio: "We may see a different pattern in hospitalisations. Hospitalisations are still generally going up across the country, and we may see high levels for some weeks."

"Vaccination is holding up in terms of protection against severe disease, assisted by the fact that Omicron almost certainly is substantially less severe, but it still puts pressures on the health system."

Source: usnews

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”